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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. file — a tool
  3. rest — a break
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. file — a document
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. present — the time now
  15. stand — to bear
  16. file — a line of people
  17. present — a gift
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — ground
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. present — there
  23. bulb — for light
  24. land — a country

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com